Salvianus is an important author when studying fifth century history. He
witnessed the barbarian invasion and destruction of his native Gaul, yet he
expressed positive evaluations of the Barbarians in this treaty De gubernatione
dei. A careful study of Salvianus’ analysis of these Barbarians reveals that he
often used topoï when discussing them. However, contrary to Roman literary
tradition, he also reversed these topoï and portrayed them in a positive light.
This Master’s thesis examines and identifies these topoï, and assesses the extent to
which Salvianus adhered to the Romans’ preconceived ideas on Barbarians in
each case. This research will demonstrate that although he used traditional literary
forms, Salvian was able to express original ideas through the manipulation of the
Roman literary tradition.